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‘Political theater’ is how state senator classifies Petersburg’s claim of casino-bullying
Sen. Lashresce Aird is firing back at the city’s claims it was coerced by her or her staff into picking Bally’s Corporation as Petersburg’s casino vendor, calling it “merely political theater” and highlighting that Petersburg’s council will not do anything “in the best interest of the people they represent.” ... “These attempts to blame the General Assembly and portray themselves as coerced into anything by me or otherwise is merely political theater and a distraction from this council’s true intentions to move forward with no process, no public engagement, and proceed in the least transparent way imaginable,” Aird said in a statement sent to The Progress-Index.
Virginia budget includes $26.5M for Bristol landfill remediation
Funding to support Bristol Virginia’s landfill remediation efforts survived the final cut of Virginia’s embattled biennial budget. On Monday, the General Assembly approved a two-year spending plan that includes $26.5 million to aid with work to resolve environmental issues with the city’s landfill. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the compromise budget Monday afternoon. “The city would like to thank Virginia lawmakers, especially Gov. Glenn Youngkin and our local representatives, Sen. Todd Pillion and Del. Israel O’Quinn, for ensuring this critical funding remained in the final budget,” the city said in a written statement.
Wexton, Briskman, EPA reps celebrate excavation of Hidden Lane Landfill
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Leesburg) and Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Juli Briskman (D-Algonkian) gathered with Environmental Protection Agency representatives at the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site May 14, celebrating progress made on the decades-long effort to clean up the site. The EPA began excavation work in February on the 25-acre site located between the Broad Run Farms and Countryside subdivisions in northeastern Loudoun County.
Richmond’s first Black-owned hospital now on list of endangered historic sites
The aged red brick and boarded up windows of Richmond Community Hospital have been at the center of debate in North Side, where residents have been rallying to save the historic building. A freshly achieved historic designation could aid in the preservation of that historic building. The hospital, now closed since the 1980s and covered in Ivy, was once the first Black-owned hospital in the city. It was the only place where Black physicians could practice, and Black patients could receive medical care.
Former Sen. Amanda Chase in court for assault charge
Former state Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, was in court Monday for an assault and battery charge after an altercation earlier this year at a local GOP event. Chesterfield Republicans met in March to select new committee leaders, but a confrontation involving Chase became the main attraction. Chase was charged with assault and battery after a confrontation with Adaire Lazaro outside of the meeting.
George Mason University announces 3% tuition hike
George Mason University (GMU) announced it would be raising its in-state tuition for the 2024-2025 school year. The university said its Board of Visitors (BOV) voted to increase the tuition by 3% in an effort to keep up with inflation and to “compensate for lower state support.”
Judges side with family in Mountain Valley Pipeline compensation case, reversing earlier decision
A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court on Tuesday restored a jury award of more than $520,000 to compensate a Roanoke County family after some of their land was seized for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, reversing a district judge’s decision last year that had cut the award almost in half. In their published opinion, judges Stephanie Thacker, Roger Gregory and James Wynn Jr. of the Richmond-based 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the Terry family that evidence presented at a 2022 trial supported a jury awarding the higher amount.
Appalachian Power makes another move toward renewable energy
Appalachian Power Co. is in the market for three wind, solar and battery energy systems as it takes another step toward establishing an all-renewable power portfolio. The company’s request for proposals from energy companies is the latest in a series of planned acquisitions to comply with the Clean Economy Act, a state law that requires Appalachian to deliver totally carbon-free power to its Virginia customers by 2050.
Landfill Clean-Up Progress Celebrated in Loudoun
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) joined representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) and area residents at the Hidden Lane Landfill site Tuesday morning to celebrate the progress made in cleaning up and restoring safe drinking water at the location. The site was first added to the EPA’s National Priority list in 2008 ...
Montgomery County board raises concerns about MVP
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is joining a growing chorus of concerns about the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s request to begin operations by June 1. Construction is continuing along the slopes of Poor Mountain, according to board Chairwoman Mary Biggs, and questions remain about whether the company has completed all of the required safety testing and repairs to the pipe.